Ravens Eugene Monroe Urges NFL To Reconsider Marijuana
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore Ravens tackle Eugene Monroe has been campaigning for the NFL to consider funding medical marijuana research in relation to CTE, pain relief and player health.
Earlier this week he wrote an essay for The Players Tribune stating again why this is something the NFL should strongly consider.
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Monroe discusses how the drug Toradol is used for players around the league as a pain reliever, but can have "disguising" effects when it comes to injuries. He also says he can understand why there is misuse of opioids and anti-inflammatories for injuries sustained while playing the game.
"Football is pain. There's no way around it, and by no means am I complaining; it's the sport I love. But make no mistake about it: For 60 minutes every Sunday, millions of fans are watching men in helmets and pads literally put their bodies on the line for the game. As long as football is played, athletes will seek a way to deal with the pain."
Monroe points out that each team that has won the Super Bowl in the last four years, including his current team, the Baltimore Ravens, reside in a state that has passed some form of progressive marijuana legislation. The Drug Enforcement Administration still insists that marijuana is a drug with no currently accepted medical use, and with that, commissioner Roger Goodell is satisfied.
Here are the actions Monroe is asking the NFL and the NFLPA to take:
- Remove marijuana from the banned substances list.
- Fund medical marijuana research, especially as it relates to CTE.
- Stop overprescribing addictive and harmful opioids.
He continued to say, "I'm not asking the NFL to prescribe players cannabis. I'm calling on the league to remove its testing protocols for cannabis. It just makes sense."
You can read his full essay here.
